Julia Cherner writes for ABC News about a disturbing prediction from New York City’s mayor.
After the candidates he backed swept their Democratic congressional primaries, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his democratic socialist message can win nationally.
“I think a democratic socialist can get elected anywhere across this country for any position,” Mamdani told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl in an exclusive interview that aired Sunday.
The three House candidates Mamdani endorsed — Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander — won their respective New York races. Lander and Avila Chevalier defeated incumbent Democrats.
“I think we are seeing a hunger that is not just felt by New Yorkers, but frankly by Americans from coast to coast, for a new kind of politics, one that puts working people at the heart of it,” Mamdani said.
Pressed by Karl on whether he plans to use his political capital in races outside of New York ahead of the midterms, Mamdani said while he’s focused for now on the candidates he endorsed, the issues that resonated in New York are felt across the country.
“It’s not just New York City where working people are asking themselves, why can’t I afford my rent, why can’t I afford my groceries, why can’t I find enough money in my pocket for child care, no matter how hard I work?” Mamdani said. “I’m so excited that these incredible soon-to-be congress members will be helping to lead the fight across the country on making sure that working people are right there where they should be, which is the heart of the conversation.”
Prominent Democrats have tried to downplay the New York progressives’ wins on Tuesday, arguing that the democratic socialist movement can win in liberal New York City, but not in swing districts across the country.
“The effort to nationalize New York is going to fail,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told The Associated Press. “What happened in New York will be really irrelevant by the time of the elections in November.”
Mamdani said his “message of fighting for working people” is already “a national message.”
